Scouring device



July 31, 928.

N. l. STA K ET AL SCOURING D YIOE Filed May 24 1927 2 Sheets-S eet l INVE T0R5 BY 7W4 (u TT RNEY July 31, 1928. 1,678,962

N. l. STARK ET AL SCOURING DEVICE Fil y 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /V/ITHAN I Srmzm JbsfPH 5/2002 lNVENTORfi &

Mg ATTORNEY Patented July 31, 1928.

UNITED sures PATENT OFFICE.

scouame nnvron.

Application filed May 24, 1927. Serial No. 193,7901

Our invention relates to refillable cleaning and scouring devices of the type particularly adapted to scour cooking utensils of metal and enamel, to finish hard wood floors and to operate in any other capacityin which an article of this character would be found to be useful. The invention has reference especially to a scouring device designed to retain refill pads or mops of steel wool or other cleaning mediums.

Refillable scouring handles for steel wool are known and ordinarily comprise a holder which is set centrally on a pad of steel wool and the edges of the latter are tucked into a groove in the holder by means of a table knife or other suitable instrument. The cleaner is removed from the groove by means of a pointed implement which is manipulated to disengage the wool. While a cleaner of this character does avoid the necessity of bringing the users hands into contact with the steel wool, it is very clumsy to refill, and as explained, the operation requires the use of a knife and a sharp pointed instrument.

With the foregoing in mind the object of the present invention is to provide a holder or handle member and refills of steel wool which may be easily applied to the handle without the use of any instrument and which when no longer of use may be projected from the handle as hereinafter described.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle member for the steel wool having a working face of wood for the purpose of allowing the wool to frictionally lock itself in position against the said wood face, the latter having a greater co-efficient of friction than that of the surface being cleaned, thereby protecting the wool from splintering.

A further object of this invention is to provide a refillable holder of this character with means for retaining a cake of soap, or quantity of cleansing powder which is intended to mingle with the steel wool to aid the scouring operation.

We accomplish these objects by means of the construction illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved cleaner; Flgure 2 is a sectional view of the same; Figure 3 is a similar sectional view on an enlarged scale and the refill of wool partly projected from the handle; Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a cavity in the handle for soap or cleansing powder;

Figure 5 is a cross'sectional view of a soap container interposed between the pad and the connecting piece for the-holder; Figure 6 1s a view of a modified form of wool pad; Flgure 7 is a cross sectional view of a holder and wool pad and means for attaching same to the holder; and Figure 8 is a view of a still further modification showing a soap container in the form of a chemicall treated cardboard having an application 0- soap on its working face.

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes a handle or holder, preferably of wood, having a knob 11 at the top and a flared lower shoe portion 12. A bore 13 runs through the axis of the holder and at opposite ends it is enlarged to provide chambers 14 and 15, the former opening out of the top of the knob 11 and the latter opening out of the center of the face of the shoe portion 12. Each chamber is provided with a metal linmg 16' comprising a straight cylindrical sleevehaving one end turned in to form a flange 17, which is adapted to seat against the shoulder 18 formed between the bore 13 and chamber 14 and 15.

Loosely disposed in the bore 13 of the holder 10 is a projector 19 comprisin a wood spindle 20 of a diameter slig tly smaller than that of the bore 13 and substantially longer axially than the latter. The spindle 20 terminates at its upper end in an enlarged button portion 21, which is provided with a metal ferrule 22 and moves axially within the chamber 14 of the knob 11. The opposite. end of the spindle 20 projects into the lower chamber 15 and is provided with a nail 23 having a large flat head 24 which overhangs the peripheral wall of the spindle and engages the shoulder 18 to prevent the projector 19 from falling out of the holder 10.

The refills 25 are carried at the shoe end of the holder 10 and comprise a short cylindrical block 26 of wood having a metal ferrule 27 which embraces the side of the wood and is turned over to form a flange 28 for one end, said end being adapted to be flush with the face of the shoe 12 when the refill is in place. The metal at the corner of the ferrule 27 between the side and the flanges 28 is slightly bulged outwardly to provide an annular projection 29 which when inserted into the chamber 15 tends to spread the metal lining 16 and thereby frictionally retain the block 26 in place. It will be clear 7 thereof being engaged in the block 26 to hold the latter and wool firmly together. The wool is further engaged in positon by a shallow pocket 32 being provided in the end of the block within the inner periphery of the flange 28. The pocket 32 also allows the head of the nail 23 to be driven below the end of the block 26 and face of the shoe to prevent scratching the surface being scoured.

In use the holder and wool mop are generally dipped into water to aid in removing foreign matter from the utensil being scoured, and to further utilize the water to provide a soapy fluid for the cleaner, we arrange in the flat bottom face of the shoe, a groove 33 into which soap 34 is placed before the pad refill is put in position. This modification is illustratively exemplified in Figure 4. The pocket formed by the groove may be of considerable depth if necessary to retain a cleansing powder which can be deposited in the groove prior to the pad being fixed in position, the pad allowing the powder or soap to sift its way through the strands of the wool in usable quantities.

It will be understood, that if a 1i hter scouring operation is required the pad, instead of being composed of steel wool, may be made of cloth, sponge or other bufiing material embodying the block 26 to be releasably engaged in the holder 10.

Referring now to Figure 5, we contemplate interposing between the block 26 and pad 25 a container 35, preferably of some porous material, having the shape of a coin or washer. The container 35 is designed to accommodate a quantity of soft soap which is intended to work its way through the porous container 35 when pressure is applied to the holder 10 to slightly compress the container.

The wool pad designated 25 and illustrated in Figure 6, is shaped so as to avoid the necessity of the block 26, in lieu of which the tool itself is bunched up at the middle of the pad to form a block shaped projection 26 capable of being detachably retained by the walls of the chamber 15 in the holder 10.

The invention. in its more simple form is constructed as illustratively exemplified in Figure 7, in which the holder 10 is provided with a small bore 13 which extends from the knob end 11 to the chamber 15, the latter in this modification being unlined. The pad of wool 25* is held in position by means of a nail 36 which is projected through the wool and forced upwardly into bore 13 of the holder. The central portion of the wool pad 25 is driven into the chamber 15 so that the head of the nail 36 will not project beyond the plane of the working face of the shoe 12.

Referring to Figure 8, we have illustrated another means for holding soap between the holder and the scouring medium. The holder or handle 10 is simply a cylindrical member of substantially uniform cross-section throughout its length, and arranged against one end of the handle 10 is a disc 37 preferably of chemically treated cardboard having soap 38 spread onto the under surface. The wool pad 25 is then fastened to the handle by a nail 39 driven through the pad, cardboard 37 and wood handlelO".

In operation, the refills of wool including the blocks 26 are removably attached to the handle 10 by simply pushing the block 26 into the chamber 15, seating the same therein and frietionally engaging the bulge 29 with the wall of the chamber. In this position the handle 10 is gripped by the fingers of the user, as illustrated in Figure 1, and then by imparting a circular or backwards and forwards motion to the instrument upon the place being scoured the operation can be successfully carried out without bringing the hands into contact with the steel wool. After the wool has been worn away and it is desired to refill the holder the button in the knob is depressed thereby projecting the block 26 out of the chamber and with it the worn wool pad 30. A new refill is then inserted as previously explained.

What we claim is 1. In a scouring device of the character described, the combination of a holder having a cavity at one end to retain a. soluble cleansing medium, a refill wool pad removably carried by the holder over the end having the cavity, and means in the holder to project the wool pad from the holder to give access to the cavity.

2. In a scouring device of the character described, the combination of a holder having a grip portion and a flat shoe portion, the holder being further provided with a through bore, a projector disposed in said bore and operable from the grip end of the holder, and a scouring pad comprising a pad of steel wool attached to a block adapted to be inserted into the shoe end of the bore and to contact with the projector whereby axial movement of the latter towards the block will project the scouring pad from the holder.

3. In a scouring device of the character described, the combination of a holder having a grip portion and a flat shoe, portion, the said holder further having an axial bore terminating in enlarged chambers in the rip portion and shoe portion, metal linings or said chambers, a projector loosely disposed in said bore and comprising a spindle portion for the bore terminating at one end in a button disposed in the chamber of the grip portion, means at the other end of the spindle to engage the holder between the bore and chambers in the shoe portion, said spindle being longer than the bore to permit axial projection of the projector, and a scouring refill for the holder comprising a pad of steel wool, a block removably arranged in the chamber of the shoe and in contact with the means at the end of the spindle, said block having a recess to receive a portion of the wool, means for attaching the wool to the block and disposed within the recess, and a metal ferrule for the block having an annular flange at its edge to frictionally engage the wall of the chamber.

4. In a scouring device of the character described, the combination of a holder having a grip portion and a flat shoe portion, the shoe portion being provided with a groove to receive a soluble cleaning medium, the said holder further having an axial bore terminating in enlarged chambers in the grip portion and shoe portion, metal linings for said chambers, a projector loosely disposed in said bore and comprising a spindle portion for the bore terminating at one end in a button disposed in the chamber of the grip portion, means at the other end of the spindle to engage the holder between the bore and chambers in the shoe portion, said spindle being longer than the bore to permit axial projection of the projector, and a scouring refill for the holder comprising a pad of steel wool, a block removably arranged in the chamber of the shoe and in contact with the means at the end of the spindle, said block having a recess to receive a portion of the wool, means for attaching the wool to the block and disposed within the recess, and a metal ferrule for the block having an annular flange at its edge to frictionally engage the wall of the chamber.

5. A holder for scouring pads comprising a handle provided at one end with an outwardly flared disc portion, the periphery of the disc portion being tapered, and means anchored to the pad and projecting centrally into the handle, whereby the said pad may be lapped or folded over the periphery of the disc portion to be forced into cracks and crevices during the scouring operation.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

NATHAN I. STARK JOSEPH SAUER. 

